Having grown tired of shuffling equipment in and out of barns and replacing sheep-chewed wiring, we have decided to erect an equipment shed to house our various “little helpers.” We contracted with a local Amish building crew that works straight through the winter on such projects. With any luck it will be done before February 1. 

 Watch for updates as construction continues.

Progress after one day

Mid-afternoon of Day Two

 Posts are set.

Beams installed and rear joists almost done. The front joists will be “sistered” in next to the rear ones.

Another Day Two view

One of the crew up top gives some scale to the photo. There will 5 bays, each one 12 feet wide, for an overall length of about 60 feet.

Day Three progress

In spite of high winds and low temps on day three, the crew managed to finish most of the carpentry work. The shed is ready for its sheet metal skin.

South end view, Day Three

The shed is 30 feet deep to accommodate a 25-foot trailer, among other things. It is 12 feet high in the back and 18 feet high at the front posts.

Mid-afternoon on Day Four

High winds and rain challenged the crew on Day 4, but they still managed to wrestle very long pieces of sheet metal into place and fasten them to the frame.

Day Four - North end gets covered

Part of the crew working on the north end.

Day Five

Day Five: shed is complete. Because the shed is located at one end of a pasture, we have hung gates to keep out the trouble-makers. We plan to hang roll-down curtains over each opening to keep the worst of the weather out.

Day Five - Ready for occupancy

From the date we contracted with the Amish crew to the day of completion was about six weeks. We are very happy with the workmanship.

Natalia and her new BFL fleece

a certain BFL fleece we had posted on our site. This buyer claimed to be in the Ukraine and wanted to know how to to go about purchasing the fleece. “Yeah, right,” I thought, as I hit “delete”  and didn’t think about again until a second inquiry arrived about two weeks later.  This time,  I was bit more circumspect, and, at the risk of getting on yet another mass-spammer’s email list, decided to go ahead and answer. My correspondent turned out to be a real, live buyer who does indeed live in the Ukraine and was willing to pay a fairly hefty ($35 first class) shipping fee in addition to the charge for the fleece.  We exchanged a number of emails and I began look forward to reading her delightful version of  English. Though she may not conform to the highest standards of English grammar, she gets her point across quite well, and it it light-years ahead of my Ukrainian.  Natalia, if you are reading this, please accept my sincere apologies for ever doubting you. I “thanks you big.”

From December 13, 2011:

Dear, Margaret

Thanks for the answer. I searched for myself the Sheep of the Fleece, and have seen you on the Internet.

This is the fleece that caught Natalia's attention across 10 time zones.

At you very remarkable lambs.

It was pleasant to me.

I still want to buy this to a fleece. How I can pay? I can paypal.

Give the data for payment.

Regards, Natalia

From December 14, 2011

 Hi, Margaret and Cindy 

Thanks for your history. I was born and studied in Ukraine. My ancestors from Ukraine too. To us to a city there came the volunteer from America and I with pleasure visited its employment on English language.

Here so has a little learned. I am glad that we can to understand each other.

I will periodically enjoy yours website, to admire your lambs.And I will necessarily recheck in February. 

I have sent –$ Paypal.

Thanks. With impatience I wait the fleece

Regards, Natalia 

From December 17, 2011:

Hi,  Margaret and Cindy 

To me pleasantly your attention. 

 I with pleasure will comply with your request to photograph myself with (Ukrainian script here)  to send you a photo. To me it will be pleasant. 

 As soon as I will receive a package at once I will inform.

In Ukraine also now rainy weather. Very much we wait for winter and a snow cover. For now still warmly. I love snow winter also.

 Rregards Natalia 

From January 4, 2012

 Hi,  Margaret and Cindy 

Today has received the fleece. Such beautiful and soft. I am very happy. Thanks you big. Now I should be photographed and send you a photo. Don’t worry I will make one of these days. 

At us has now dropped out a lot of snow and a small frost.

Regards, Natalia 

From January 10, 2012

 Dear  Margaret and Cindy 

Excuse for a delay. I a little bit was ill, but now all is good. I send you a photo.

I will necessarily glance to you on a farm still to admire lambs and to buy still fleece.

Thanks you big.

Best regards, Natalia

White Romney fleece from "Peggy Sue"

We have just posted a number of freshly shorn fleeces, clean, sound and ready for your next project. Check them out on our Sheep Fleeces page under Wool and Products above.

PFR 639 in October, 2011

Single Ram lamb

Born 3/11/2011

Sire: Springfield 4952 Willum

Dam: Gavin 7013 TW Raylene

This ram lamb is straight and correctly built, with excellent  length of loin and spring of rib, standing on good bone.  He has distinct black points and good breed character. Fertility guaranteed. 

PFR 639 front

PFR 639 rear

PFR 639 shoulder

PFR 639 hip

PFR 639 mid side

PFR 659

PFR 659

Twin ram lamb

Born 2/19/2011

Sire: Bullock 0561 Cyrus

Dam: PFR 475 Dinah

Current weight as of October 8, 2011: 182 lbs

This is a nice-sized ram out of a consistently producing cross.  659 has a thick, wide loin that percentages out well. He’s strong topped standing on sound feet and legs.  He carries a consistent, soft, beautifully colored fleece.  His dam was the Supreme Champion Ewe at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival as a lamb. He sold from our pens during the same event this year.

659 front

659 rear

659 shoulder

659 mid side

659 hip

Cindy poses with PFR 635, Beastie Boy, 2011 ram lamb. He won Reserve Champion White Long Wool Ram, conceding champion to the eventual Supreme Champion Ram, an outstanding yearling Lincoln from Brian Larson's flock.

flock. We decided to give the Romneys the weekend off to save prep time and showring aggravation, since the white long wools were all combined. It ended up being a fairly relaxing and rewarding weekend. This venue is small enough to be friendly and large enough (this year more than past) to provide some pretty stiff competition. Ours were the only BFLs in the show, but they held their own against some excellent sheep from both in and out of state. This was the last show for the yearling girls, since they will be meeting their AI boyfriends on September 17. We were lucky enough to be selected as white long wool reserve champion with our only ram, a precocious ram lamb by the name of Beastie Boy. Our yearling girls had a tougher draw, being in a large class with the eventual Supreme Ewe  from Jerry Early’s Border Leicester flock. The best we placed was third, behind both of the Early entries. One of our ewe lambs was second in a very large class, beaten by another outstanding Border Leicester entry from Bill and Linda Koeppel. Overall, we were pleased with the judging  (Ed Julian) and how smoothly the show ran (Heather and Mike Ludlam). As always, the cameraderie was second to none, with our very informal wine, cheese and anything-else-in-the-cooler gathering at the pens on Saturday evening.

If you have never been to this show, or have but not recently, please consider joining us in 2012. Heather and Mike Ludlam are doing a great job in attracting  bigger numbers of quality sheep, excellent judges, and interest in a variety of classes and events in the sheep show.

Pitchfork Flock Entry: (left to right) ewe lambs, yearlings and ram lamb. Ably assisted by good friends Brian Larson, Neil Kentner, Wayne Barber, Jerry Early. Cindy on the right with the ram lamb.

Pitchfork BFL flock from the rear.

It's hard to get 5 sheep to cooperate all at the same time, but we tried.

Look carefully and you'll see the rather angry bees protesting the opening of the hive.

For  long time, we had a bee colony cozily ensconced in one of the dormers of the house. Over the years, various workmen (roofers, painters, chimney sweeps) emptied cans of spray into the tiny hole that served as an entrance to the hive, to no avail. It would slow them down a bit, but clearly the hive was so extensive inside the dormer that only a small percentage of the bees would be killed. Not that we really wanted them killed–we just wanted them to move elsewhere, and to stop causing panic among work crews. We realized it was a healthy wild honeybee colony that had managed to persist in the face of many challenges, both from nature and humans.  The bees were providing much-needed pollination for the local crops and had never bothered anyone on the ground. We could hear the buzzing of the colony from  inside the dormer, but honey was not leaking through – yet.

However, the original cedar shake roof was beginning to crumble. It was at end-life (35+ years – no leaks, be we didn’t want to push our luck), and needed replacing. As long as we had to make such a large infusion of money into the local economy, we decided to spread it around and call a bona-fide bee removal  specialist. Steller Apiary coordinated with the roofing crew and soon the bees were evicted from the house. However, we did not stack all their mattresses, clothing and kids toys out at the road for the next garbage pickup. Part of the deal with the bee removal company was to move the bees to a new hive, which they provide. Having located the queen during the removal (I have NO idea how — perhaps she was wearing a tiny crown and waving a teeny scepter?) and vacuumed (that’s right, vacuumed) up most of the bees (estimated at around 50,000),  they moved the little monarchy to the new hive, where they immediately set up housekeeping. A few stubborn die-hards continued to fly around the old hive site, but after a day or two they had either re-joined the colony or died of exposure.

Here's a better view of the dormer roof. The hive went up and over the top of the peak.

Life at the hive seems to agree with the new tenants. We were expecting a boxy, white, stacked-looking hive, but what we got was a top-bar hive, so named for the separate wooden bars that span the top of the hive under the cover. The bees immediately got to work building combs that hung separately from each bar,  just as the beekeeper said they would. We placed the new hive so that it would get morning sun to warm them up and afternoon shade to keep the hive from getting overheated. Though a bit apprehensive at first, we quickly realized that these bees are not aggressive and that the hive can be approached and even opened without causing them to become agitated. So, of course, it has become a regular evening ritual to check out their progress (though the handy viewing window built in to the side of the hive).

Our new top bar hive.

We do not plan to take any honey from the hive this year – the colony will need all they make this summer to get them through the winter, as all their surplus (and there was a LOT of surplus) was lost. However, if all goes well, we should be drinking tea with our very own “Pitchfork” brand honey by late summer of 2012.

This is about 3 weeks worth of work. There are about 8 separate combs so far.

We had never imagined how fascinating bees are to watch. We could set up lawn chairs near the hive and watch them work for hours. It wouldn’t take long, however, for their industriousness to prod us into action in tackling the endless tasks that the farm requires. But we do enjoy the occasional distraction that they provide, and who couldn’t use a good role model?

Some of our bees.

More of our bees. To get them to smile, I told them, "Say 'bees'!"